Martin Johnson's usual reaction to injury is merely to say that an opportunity has been created for another player. But even Johnson's positive spin is wearing thin after being forced by a never-ending stream of injuries to make 12 changes to the England senior squad of 32 that he named in July.

The England manager's mantra has been consistency, in selection and performance, and towards the end of last season results suggested he was achieving it. But injuries have ripped the heart from a squad which must face in the Investec Series next month three sides - Australia, Argentina and New Zealand - all ranked above England. In other circumstances, Johnson would have fancied his side's chances against all three; now he is putting building blocks in place once more.

You would not even guarantee that some of the players in his revised squad will still be there when Australia roll up at Twickenham on November 7: Mike Tindall has been struggling with a damaged hamstring and though England's medical staff have given all the players a rigorous examination, Tindall's injury record is not encouraging. He needs game time, even with an under-performing Gloucester, but Johnson may not choose to release him to play against Sale Sharks on Friday.

England consider that the 2003 World Cup winner's size, strength and experience will bring more to the midfield than Dan Hipkiss. The Leicester centre was unlucky in that illness kept him out of his club's Heineken Cup game with the Ospreys earlier this month, when a good display might have made his case unanswerable but if Shane Geraghty is to play inside centre, England will seek greater physical presence alongside him.

But even though so many front-line players are absent, England still have a core of experience headed by Jonny Wilkinson. Behind him Tindall, Ben Kay and Steve Borthwick have all passed a half-century of caps and Steve Thompson is only a couple short. Not all those individuals will start against the Wallabies but they will be good to have around, particularly for a youngster such as Courtney Lawes.

Lawes's elevation is thoroughly justified. Though he is only 20, he has been one of the form players of the Guinness Premiership and his display for Northampton in the Heineken Cup win over Munster - whose second row included Paul O'Connell and Donncha O'Callaghan, the Ireland and Lions pair - was outstanding for a young tight forward. He may not start on November 7 but how valuable will it be if he is given game time next month.

The most irreplaceable absence is that of Nick Easter. The Harlequins No 8 tore his calf muscle against Worcester Warriors last weekend and will miss the whole autumn series; his intelligence and leadership have been key ingredients for his club this season and now England must choose from Jordan Crane, the only other specialist No 8 in the squad, Joe Worsley or James Haskell.

Both Worsley and Haskell have international experience of the position but Worsley needs game time after recovering from a neck injury and Haskell has been playing, with great consistency, at blind-side flanker for his new employers, Stade Francais. Nevertheless this could be a wonderful chance for Haskell, omitted from both the senior and Saxons squads in July, to reclaim Johnson's favour and demonstrate that he is not just a brand name but a player of considerable stature.

ENGLAND SENIOR EPS SQUAD

FORWARDS: Steffon Armitage (London Irish), *David Barnes (Bath), Duncan Bell (Bath), *Richard Blaze (Leicester Tigers), Steve Borthwick (Saracens, captain), George Chuter (Leicester), Jordan Crane (Leicester), Tom Croft (Leicester), Louis Deacon (Leicester), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), James Haskell (Stade Francais), Ben Kay (Leicester), *Courtney Lawes (Northampton), Lewis Moody (Leicester), Tim Payne (London Wasps), Steve Thompson (CA Brive), David Wilson (Bath), Joe Worsley (Wasps).

BACKS: Matt Banahan (Bath), Danny Care (Harlequins), Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks), Ben Foden (Northampton), Shane Geraghty (Northampton), Andy Goode (CA Brive), Dan Hipkiss (Leicester), Paul Hodgson (London Irish), Ugo Monye (Harlequins), David Strettle (Harlequins), Mathew Tait (Sale), Mike Tindall (Gloucester), Richard Wigglesworth (Sale), Jonny Wilkinson (Toulon).

*Uncapped player